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Nanaimo, Parksville and Area

water and power worries
'We can't drink data:' Green leader pushes for pause on data centres during Nanaimo visit
NANAIMO - A pending data centre on East Wellington Rd. drew the ire of the BC Green Party leader. Emily Lowan was at Nanaimo's Maffeo Sutton Park on Thursday, May 14, where she called for a moratorium on the building of AI data centres until the risks to the environment, human health, and privacy are better understood ...
21h ago
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brush fires
Man injured in Nanaimo encampment fire, Long Lake bluff also torched
NANAIMO - A quiet Nanaimo neighbourhood was illuminated with emergency lights in response to a notable overnight encampment fire. The fire was called in on Thursday, May 14, at 1:25 a.m. in the bush off the end of Rosstown Rd., just east of the Nanaimo Parkway. Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) assistant chief John MacKenzie s...
May 14, 2026
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quick response
UPDATE: New wildfire near Nanaimo Lakes Rd. being held
NANAIMO - Coastal Fire Centre crews spent the night actioning a new wildfire start west of the city, with a quick response leading to a swift resolution.Reported late Wednesday, May 13, the fire burning just north of Nanaimo Lakes Rd., near the intersection with South Forks Rd., is now classified as being held at aroun...
May 14, 2026
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choppy waters
BC Ferries braces for challenging peak season
NANAIMO - With the busy summer travel season fast-approaching, BC Ferries warns its aging system offers limited flexibility and resiliency. The company provided a wide-ranging pre-summer operational update on Wednesday, May 13 prior to what's expected to be a record peak season for its fleet. In light of pending FIFA W...
May 14, 2026
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toxic drugs
Seven more Nanaimo deaths in March from toxic street drugs
NANAIMO - Seven more people died locally due to the unregulated drug supply in March, part of 135 suspected drug deaths across British Columbia. Seven people also died in February in Nanaimo, bringing the total number of deaths due to toxic street drugs to 23 so far this year, according to the latest report from the BC...
May 13, 2026
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random attack
Nanaimo man injured in 'unprovoked assault' in city's south end
NANAIMO - Mounties in Nanaimo are trying to identify an individual who allegedly attacked a man in Harewood. The incident, which police are calling "an unprovoked attack," occurred Monday, May 11, at around 3 p.m. on Seventh St., near Douglas Ave. and saw an adult man hit from behind as he was walking. Reserv...
May 13, 2026
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British Columbia

Canadian wineries say scrapping provincial trade barriers would add billions to GDP
HALIFAX - Canada's wine sector is worth more than $10 billion a year and the industry says a few tweaks - like scrapping domestic trade barriers - could add billions of dollars more to the national economy. A new report from Deloitte, commissioned by ...
2h ago
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Observant parent thwarted abduction attempt of girl, 7, from B.C. school: police
CHILLIWACK - Police in Chilliwack say the attempted abduction of a seven-year-old girl from a school on Wednesday, by a man wearing a "purple bunny-like mask", was thwarted by a concerned parent. RCMP were called to the grounds of Chilliwack Elementar...
2h ago
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'It's insane': Summer gas prices could hit record highs, upending budgets and travel
MONTREAL - Since gas prices started climbing in March, Sarah Bradley has found herself bargain hunting across multiple grocery stores in Montreal. "Before, I'm a one-stop shop person," she said. "Now I think twice. I'm like, OK, do I need that from IGA...
4h ago
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Black bear found wandering urban Vancouver is tranquilized and released
VANCOUVER - Police in Vancouver say a black bear was tranquilized, "slept it off, and was released without charges" after it was seen wandering around the city at night. They say in a post to social media that officers responded to reports about the b...
4h ago
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Experts call for evenly applied forensic nursing services across B.C.
A researcher on intimate partner violence is calling for British Columbia to increase funding for forensic nurses, saying there is a service gap for survivors in most regions. The comments by Amanda McCormick, an associate professor in the school of c...
12h ago
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B.C. emergency communications professionals vote in support of strike action
VANCOUVER - A union representing more than 700 emergency communications professionals in British Columbia says members have voted 95 per cent in favour of strike action, while negotiating an essential services order with their employer. CUPE 8911 says ...
17h ago
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Canada

Reaction to the Alberta-Ottawa agreement on carbon pricing, pipeline plans
CALGARY - Shovels could hit the ground on a new West Coast oilsands pipeline as early as September 2027, the federal and Alberta governments said Friday, after they announced a plan to gradually increase the province's effective industrial carbon price...
1h ago
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Quebec reimbursing farmers for fuel tax, says measure will help competitiveness
DRUMMONDVILLE - Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette has responded to pressure from the agriculture sector, promising to reimburse millions of dollars to farmers for fuel taxes linked to the province's carbon market. Starting in July, more than 15,000 fa...
1h ago
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Senior and two officers in hospital after driver tears through Vancouver's West End
VANCOUVER - A man who drove along a sidewalk, hitting trees, vehicles and a senior on a scooter is in custody after two Vancouver police officers used their vehicle to stop the driver. The senior on the scooter was critically injured, while the two of...
1h ago
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Observant parent thwarted abduction attempt of girl, 7, from B.C. school: police
CHILLIWACK - Police in Chilliwack say the attempted abduction of a seven-year-old girl from a school on Wednesday, by a man wearing a "purple bunny-like mask", was thwarted by a concerned parent. RCMP were called to the grounds of Chilliwack Elementar...
2h ago
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Ontario now testing asymptomatic people for hantavirus; low-risk cases to stop isolating if negative
TORONTO - Ontario's ministry of health said it is now testing asymptomatic people with connections to a hantavirus-stricken cruise, a shift from government remarks made earlier this week, as health officials around the world grapple with the role of te...
3h ago
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Lessons from an astronaut: Artemis II crew shares advice on risk, work and friendship
MONTREAL - Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and his Artemis II crewmates have shared some of the life lessons they learned preparing for and carrying out their record-breaking lunar flyby last month. Their 10-day mission launched April 1 from Florida, ...
4h ago
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